


Shotgun

by trendsand_makebelieve



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beth Greene Lives, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode AU: s04e13 Alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 23:25:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7075045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trendsand_makebelieve/pseuds/trendsand_makebelieve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth gets kidnapped from the funeral home. She and Daryl find each other, and then search for a new place to be. Maybe what they need is each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even remember when I started writing this. It was definitely pre-Coda. I think people were still speculating that Father Gabriel abducted Beth. I've had it on my computer and would tweak it every once in a while. I recently re-formatted the whole story to be more canon-compliant.
> 
> Although I grew up in Georgia, I don't know enough about its geography to say my locations are accurate.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or its characters.

When Beth woke up, she was in the back of a car. As she tried to sit up, she realized her hands were bound in front and tied to her ankles. Her entire body was aching; her ribs felt bruised, and her head was sticky with blood. The car she was trapped in must have hit her. There were two men in the front, wearing what looked like police uniforms. Beth glanced down at her hip, noticing her knife was gone. They had taken the obvious weapon, but didn’t think to look for the multi-tool she kept hidden in her sock. She eased her fingers into her boot and pulled the multi-tool out as quietly as she could. Beth popped the knife out, held it between her knees and started sawing at the ropes on her wrists. It didn’t seem like the two men knew she was conscious. They were listening to an old country CD and talking, but not low enough that she couldn’t hear them.

“Man, we really lucked out with this one. She looks real sweet,” one of the cops said.

“Shut up, Gorman. We got her to use at the hospital, not for your personal use,” the other cop replied.

“Come on, O’Donnell. Live a little.”

“No. It’s already fucked up enough what you’re doing to Joan. Let’s just get this girl back to Dawn; she’ll decide what we’ll use her for. This girl will owe us since we’ll fix her up at the hospital. That’s how it works.” O’Donnell continued driving, trying to ignore Gorman.

“I’m getting tired of Joan,” whined Gorman. “She don’t even try to fight me anymore. Where’s the fun in that?”

Beth should have felt overwhelming terror. Instead, she felt rage. Rage at the fact that these men were kidnapping people to use them for labor, and worse, rape. Rage that she didn’t see the car coming. Rage that people were so far gone in this world. She finished cutting through the ropes, and swiftly undid the knots around her ankles.

“I’ll tell you what, O’Donnell. You can have the first go at her, and then I’ll take her for th-“. Gorman didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Beth rammed her knife into his throat. Blood spurted onto her face and neck.

“You deserve a slower death than this,” she seethed through her teeth. Beth yanked the knife out of the dying Gorman and plunged it into his heart. Gorman’s blood sprayed out of his neck, covering the inside of the windshield, while his chest wound oozed. Before O’Donnell could reach his gun, Beth held the knife to his throat. Her grip was slick with Gorman’s blood, but she kept ahold of the knife. “Stop the car, or you end up like him.” O’Donnell, clearly valuing his life, did as she said. “Give me the keys.” He took the keys out of the ignition, handing them to Beth with shaking hands. “How long have we been driving? How far are we from the funeral home?”

“We’ve only been driving for fifteen minutes or so, I swear,” O’Donnell said. His voice was quivering. “It’s several miles back the way we came, it was a straight shot.”

“Where’s the man I was with?”

“We didn’t see anyone else. That’s why we picked you. We thought you’d be an easy-“

“Easy what? Target? Prey?” Beth fumed as she pressed the knife into O’Donnell’s throat, beads of blood forming.

“That was what Gorman thought! I never wanted to be on this detail!”

“But you let it happen! You knowingly let your people take hostages and you knew what your friend was doing to women, and you let it happen!” Tears started streaming down Beth’s face. Suddenly, she heard a moan. Gorman had reanimated. Blinded by anger, she shoved O’Donnell’s shoulders, pushing him towards Gorman. Gorman took a bite out of O’Donnell’s arm.

“Help me, please!” O’Donnell screeched as his friend continued eating him. Beth jumped out of the car, quickly locking the door behind her. She didn’t care that she had killed a man. She didn’t care that she let the other man get eaten by a walker.

_People like this need to be put down._

Beth watched until O’Donnell stopped moving. Carefully, she opened the driver’s side door. Gorman was still eating O’Donnell’s corpse, not taking notice of her. She plunged her knife into Gorman’s skull. She dispatched O’Donnell next, ensuring he wouldn’t come back. Ignoring the blood and gore, she unbuckled the seatbelts that bound the bodies. Beth pulled the bodies out of the car, hauling them to the side of the road. She took their guns and found her knife on Gorman. She slid back into the blood soaked car, locking the doors to keep any walkers or people out. After a few seconds, Beth started sobbing. She didn’t regret ridding the world of those monsters, but she had never killed anyone before. Taking a life leaves a mark on your soul, regardless of whether or not it was necessary. She cried until she felt numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Beth lost track of how long she sat in the car. She was lost in her own mind. Then, she heard a frantic knock, breaking her out of her trance. She brandished a newly acquired gun and pointed it at the window.

“Beth?” She squinted out the window and saw Daryl. She dropped the gun in the seat next to her. Beth unlocked the door with unsteady hands. She stepped out of the car, looking at Daryl. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead. He was breathing heavily as he took in her bloody appearance. He had to have seen the bodies next to the car.

_What will he think of me now?_

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards his chest. “M’sorry, Beth.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?” she said, her voice muffled by his chest.

“Shouldn’t have told ya to leave. Should’ve been with ya. Didn’t want ya to have to do this.”

Beth pulled away from him. “Daryl,” she said softly. “I made it.” Daryl let out a harsh laugh and pulled her back into a hug. He pressed his lips against her head. Beth sighed against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. For a while, they just stood there in each other’s arms. Then, Beth mumbled, “I’m getting blood all over you.”

“Don’t care about that.” Finally, Daryl released Beth. He pulled his bandana out of his back pocket and held it against her head. “Keep pressure on that. You get anythin’ off the bodies?”

Beth nodded. “Their guns and my knife that they took,” she said as she wrapped the bandana around her head, securing it with a knot.

“There keys to the car?”

Beth handed the keys to Daryl.

“Don’t think they’ll mind much if we borrow it,” he muttered. Beth started toward the other side of the car. She took a step forward and almost collapsed. Daryl caught her and put her arm around his shoulder, placing his hand on her hip. “Easy, now,” he murmured. “I got ya.” He helped her to the car. “Stay awake, ya hear?” Beth nodded. He walked around the car and slid into the driver’s seat.

“We can’t go back to the funeral home, can we?” Beth asked sadly.

“There might be more of them. Can’t risk it.”

“It was so stupid to think there are still good places.”

“Beth, it ain’t stupid. Ya can’t think that.” Daryl reached over towards her, placing his hand on her knee. “We’ll find somewhere. I promise ya.”

Beth looked back at Daryl, covering his hand with hers. “Okay, Daryl.”

Daryl nodded and turned back to the road. “Don’t wanna have to deal with this car any longer than we have to. The cross is too recognizable. As soon as we hit a town, we’re ditchin’ it.”

“Makes sense,” Beth mused. Daryl started the car, driving them into the cover of night.

 

* * *

 

“Sonofabitch,” Daryl cursed as the car stuttered to a stop.

“Out of gas?” Beth asked dryly.

Daryl grunted. He got out of the car and popped the trunk. A second later, he slammed it shut and got back in the car. “Idiots didn’t bring any gas.”

Beth peered ahead. She could just make out a sign. “The sign up there that says Fayetteville is fifteen miles away.”

“We ain’t walkin’ that far in the middle of the night. Not after what you’ve been through.”

“Daryl, I’m fine,” Beth protested. But Daryl shook his head, effectively ending the conversation. Beth sighed. “Okay, well what are we gonna do until the sun comes up?”

“We’ll lock the doors, stay in here, wait it out.” Daryl reached into the bag they got from the golf course. “Picked this up before…” he trailed off. He pulled out a flashlight and held it between his teeth. Beth untied the bandana from around her head. He grabbed the flashlight and pointed it at her head. “Just looks like a lump, I don’t think you’re concussed.”

“That’s good,” Beth said. Daryl nodded and started bandaging her head.

“You should get in the backseat, get some sleep.”

“Okay.” Beth crawled in to the back of the car. “What about you?”

“Nah, m’fine up here.”

“That’s silly. Come back here.”

Daryl groaned. “Ain’t gonna crawl in the back.” He grabbed the keys, got out of the car and got back in, sliding next to Beth. He locked all the doors. Daryl leaned back into his seat, leaving space between him and Beth. After a few minutes, Beth scooted closer to Daryl. They sat in silence until Daryl let out a long breath. “What happened?”

Beth had been dreading this question. “I was running out of the house, and there were a few walkers. I was taking care of them, and after I got the last one, I felt something slam into me. I woke up in the backseat, all tied up. They didn’t check my boot for my multi-tool. I used the knife to cut the ropes. They were saying terrible things, about using me as slave labor, and one of them wanted to… do things to me.” Beth paused. “I killed him first.” Daryl stiffened next to her. “I stabbed him in the throat then the chest. I told the other guy to stop, to tell me how far away the funeral home was. Then, the other guy came back. I was so angry. I shoved the guy into the walker and I got out of the car. I let him get eaten.” Beth let out a shuddering breath. “The rest you know.”

Daryl remained silent for a while. After a few minutes, he said, “Ya did good, Beth.”

“I killed them, Daryl.”

“And they would have killed you. Or worse.”

Beth shivered. She looked up at Daryl; he was staring at the back of the driver’s seat. “Thank you, for finding me.”

“Ain’t nothin’,” Daryl mumbled.

“No, Daryl. It isn’t nothing. I know I’m not your first choice for who you’d want to be stuck with, and you could have let me get taken and you’d have been better off and—“

“Beth.” Daryl turned to face her. He placed his left hand on Beth’s shoulder. “I ain’t stuck with ya, and I ain’t leavin’ ya. I wouldn’t ever.”

Beth’s eyes started swimming. She placed her right hand on top of his. She held his gaze for a few moments until he looked away. His hand dropped from her shoulder, but Beth didn’t let it get far. She grabbed it and laced her fingers with his. She moved closer to Daryl, leaning her head against his shoulder. He went rigid for a second, and then relaxed against her. Beth sighed. “The doors are locked. We can both get some rest.”

“Alright,” he said. Beth shivered against him. Hesitantly, Daryl draped his other arm over Beth’s shoulders, pulling her towards his chest. “Cold tonight.”

“Yeah,” Beth murmured. She tucked her head under Daryl’s chin. “Yeah it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl woke up with a crick in his neck. The sun was blazing through the windows. He looked outside and guessed it was probably about midday. Daryl usually woke with the sun, so this was odd. His arm was still around Beth and his fingers were still tangled in hers. He felt her soft breath against his neck. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Daryl let his fingers play with the end of her ponytail. Before he did anything else, Daryl cleared his throat and Beth woke up. “Hey,” Daryl mumbled.

“Hi,” Beth said. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. “It’s bright. What time do you think it is?”

“I’d guess around noon.”

“Damn,” Beth exhaled. “We gotta get up now, don’t we?”

“Mhm.” Daryl pulled his arm from her shoulders and opened the door. He helped Beth out of the car. “How ya feelin’?”

“Like I got hit by a car, but I’m good.”

“Ya sure?” Daryl probed.

“I gotta be, right?” Daryl eyed her curiously. He said something similar to Carol at the prison. Beth shrugged and started shuffling forward. Daryl grabbed her arm to stop her. As Beth looked at him in question, he handed Beth the crossbow.

“Strap that across yer back,” Daryl said gruffly. Beth slipped the strap across her chest and let the crossbow hang against her back. Daryl stood in front of her and bent over slightly.

“Serious piggyback?” Beth asked, amused.

“Serious piggyback. Hop up.” Beth braced her hands on his shoulders. She jumped and wrapped her legs around Daryl’s waist; her arms looped around his neck. Daryl’s hands gripped the backs of her thighs.

“To Fayetteville?”

“The signs said it’s fifteen miles that way,” Daryl gestured ahead with a jerk of his chin.

“I can’t let you carry me the whole way,” Beth protested.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. Let me take care of ya.” Beth’s heart fluttered at his words. She hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to him about what he meant back at the funeral home. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words. Instead, she tightened her arms a little and buried her face in the back of his neck. She smiled against his skin. Her lips brushed against his neck, causing Daryl’s mouth to quirk into a smile. He continued walking, glad that Beth couldn’t see his face.

 

* * *

  

After several hours of walking, with a few breaks at Beth’s insistence, Beth and Daryl came across a small, gated community. Daryl let Beth down and they both drew their knives. Beth jerked her chin towards an opening in the fence. Beth squeezed her way through, followed by Daryl. The two of them started scoping out the neighborhood. Many of the houses looked like they had not been looted, but walkers were shuffling around by the dozens. Beth and Daryl moved quietly, only engaging the walkers when they caught their scent.

“What about that one?” Beth asked. She pointed at a white house with a dark red door.

“It’s as good as any,” said Daryl. Beth and Daryl crept past walkers and got to the front of the house. Daryl banged on the door and waited a few minutes. “Don’t hear nothin’. Do ya?” Beth shook her head. The door creaked as Daryl pushed it open. He walked into the house with Beth at his heels. The house was veiled in a thin layer of dust, but it wasn’t cluttered. Beth stepped into the living room while Daryl walked further into the house. Beth ran her fingers along a dusty side table, noticing the family pictures. A husband and wife with two daughters. Beth wondered if they were still alive.

“There’s a good amount of food in here,” Daryl called from the kitchen.

“Really?”

“Yeah, canned food, some dried fruit, and pasta.”

“You think the people who live here are gonna come back?” Beth asked as she limped into the kitchen.

“Nah, see all the dust? There ain’t been anyone here for a long time. They either left or didn’t make it back.” She nodded in agreement. Beth opened the pantry and found several gallons of distilled water.

“I haven’t seen this much pure water since before,” Beth said wistfully. She looked back at Daryl with a smile. He met her eyes for only a second. His gaze dropped to his feet as he chewed on his thumb.

“Gonna check the rest of the house,” he muttered. Daryl bolted out of the kitchen. Confused, Beth hobbled out of the kitchen towards back of the house. She looked out into the back yard. To her surprise, there was covered standalone Jacuzzi.

“Daryl! There’s a Jacuzzi on the back porch!” she called.

“Anything else in the back?” he yelled.

“I don’t see any walkers.” Beth opened the back door, with her knife ready. The grass was overgrown, but the backyard was deserted. Beth walked to the Jacuzzi and tugged the cover off. The water smelled stale, but it looked fairly clean from being covered all this time. There were even some towels piled up on the porch near the Jacuzzi. Beth picked them up; they only seemed dirty from whatever weather had happened over the last few years. She couldn’t find it in herself to care or to be picky. Beth looked down at her clothes. She still had blood all over her. She set down her knife and towels and started stripping down to her underwear. Beth used to be modest, but sleeping and bathing around a group as large as the prison helped her get over that. She climbed into the Jacuzzi, enjoying the cold water on her aching body. She untied the bandana and set it on top of her knife. She dunked her head underwater, gently rubbing at her scalp. The blood in her hair and on her skin turned the water a faint reddish brown. Beth couldn’t remember the last time she felt this good. It would have been amazing if she could turn on the jets. While she was under water, she heard a voice. She lifted her head and reached for her knife.

“Hold up, girl,” Daryl said. “Just me.” Beth relaxed back into the water. “Figured you’d want to do somethin' like this.” Daryl set some clothes next to her knife. “Found some stuff that might fit us.”

“Thank you,” Beth said with a smile. Daryl grunted and began chewing on his thumb. He started to turn away when Beth said, “Join me.”

Daryl started as if he had been struck. “What?”

“Come on, Daryl. We’ve had too many communal baths in the rivers with the others for this to be weird.” Beth gestured at his clothes. “Besides, you have blood all over you too.” Daryl heaved a sigh, but started taking off his vest and plaid shirt. He kicked off his boots and dropped his pants. After a deep breath, he removed his t-shirt.

Beth knew about Daryl’s scars. She saw them first on the farm when Nelly had thrown him and he taken both an arrow and a bullet. He had tried to cover them up when she brought him food, but she saw them. Beth had seen similar scars on her daddy, but not as many as were on Daryl. She’d never talked about them; at the time, she didn’t know him well enough to make it her business. But that was then. Beth and Daryl had been through so much, even before the fall of the prison.

“You don’t have to feel weird about them, Daryl,” Beth said softly. He looked back at her in question. “You have the scars, but you are still here. They are a reminder of a bad time, sure, but they are also a sign that you survived.” She rubbed at the scar on her wrist absentmindedly. “At least that’s what I tell myself.”

Daryl nodded. He stepped into the Jacuzzi and sat across from her. Like Beth, he dunked his head underwater and scrubbed at his scalp. He flipped his head up, splashing water on Beth.

“Hey!” she squealed. Beth splashed water back at him. Daryl smirked at her.

“Ya were already wet, don’t see what the problem is.” Beth continued rubbing her skin, washing off the blood, Daryl did the same. “How’re ya feelin’?”

“Still pretty sore. I don’t think they were going very fast when the hit me, so I don’t think anything is broken. My ribs are sore, but I don’t know if they are cracked or not.”

“C’mere a second,” Daryl said. Beth swam over to him. “Stand up.” Daryl moved to sit on the edge of the Jacuzzi. Slowly, Beth stood on the seat of the Jacuzzi. For the first time in a long time, she felt nervous. Daryl’s eyes raking over her nearly naked body made her uneasy, but also thrilled her. Carefully, he placed his hands on her ribs. He put slight pressure on her sides. Beth closed her eyes and let out a sharp breath. “That hurt?” he asked worriedly.

“No, just sore,” Beth lied. It did hurt, but not in a bad way. Beth could easily forget the pain when she had Daryl’s rough hands on her body.

“You havin’ trouble breathing?”

_Yes. Around you, it’s hard to breathe._

“No.”

“Don’t think anythin’s cracked,” Daryl said with relief. He let go of her sides, slightly trailing his fingers before they got to her hips. Beth shivered at his touch. She sank back into the water, keeping her eyes locked with Daryl’s. Daryl looked down at her, his blue eyes blazing. He blinked, breaking his gaze. “We should get inside,” he said suddenly. Daryl got out of the Jacuzzi, grabbed a towel and rushed inside.

Beth let out a shaky breath. Beth didn’t understand why he was acting this way, staring at her intensely one moment and then bolting the next. She liked to think they were friends, despite her growing feelings for him. She told herself it was stress or exhaustion. They had been through a lot in the past couple days. Beth got out of the Jacuzzi and wrapped herself in a towel. She scooped up the new clothes Daryl brought her and grabbed her knife, bandana, and boots. She left her blood soaked clothes behind; she didn’t think she could wear them again. After she got inside, Beth ducked into a bathroom and stripped off her underwear. She hung them from the doorknob so they could dry. She slipped on the plaid button up shirt that Daryl got her. It was a bit too big for her, but it was clean. Beth pulled on the sweatpants, reveling in how soft they were. After pulling on her boots, she walked out of the bathroom with her knife, looking for Daryl. She didn’t see him on the ground floor. Her ankle was still sore, but she was determined to not ask for help. Slowly, she made her way upstairs. She poked her head in the first bedroom. It looked like it would be a master bedroom. Beth limped to the foot of the bed and pressed her hand on the mattress. Beth almost teared up at how soft it was. The prison cots could hardly be called beds and she had spent more days then she could count sleeping on the ground. She tossed her knife on the bedside table.

“Why’d ya climb the stairs?” Beth jumped at Daryl’s voice. As she spun around, her foot caught on the corner of the bed. She started to fall, but then Daryl grabbed her and pulled her against his chest. Beth’s breath caught in her throat; he was wearing plaid sleep pants but hadn’t put on a shirt. His skin was still damp from their bath. He released her and stepped away. “M’sorry.”

“You scared me!”

“Didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” he said quietly.

“Guess all that huntin’ has made you quiet when you walk.” Beth sat down on the bed. “Is the place locked up?”

“Mhm.”

“Good.” Beth kicked off her boots and scooted up on the bed. Daryl pulled on a black t-shirt, leaving Beth slightly disappointed.

“Here,” Daryl said, giving Beth a half-eaten can of green beans.

“Oh boy, my favorite,” Beth said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She quickly ate the green beans, trying to ignore the taste. After she finished, Daryl replaced the can in her hand with a glass of water and handed her a small white pill. “What’s this?”

“Found some painkillers downstairs.” Beth couldn’t believe their luck. She popped the pill in her mouth and drank the glass of water.

Beth looked around the room. “Can you hand me that hair brush?” she asked, pointing towards the dresser. He grabbed the brush and tossed to Beth. She caught it with ease.

“Get some rest,” Daryl said as he started towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Was gonna go to another room.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Beth said softly. “Unless you want to.”

Daryl turned back to Beth. “Ya want me to stay?”

Beth shifted to the right side of the bed, giving him space. She didn’t take her eyes off of him. “Stay.”

Daryl ran his hand through his damp hair. “Okay.” He walked towards the bed and sat at the foot.

“Come up here next to me,” Beth said. Daryl shifted and laid down next to her. Beth pulled her damp hair out of the ponytail and unraveled the tiny braid. Separating her hair into small sections, she brushed her hair until the frizzy mop gleamed gold and shiny.

“It’s gettin’ long,” Daryl said softly, tugging at the end her hair.

“I should cut it. It’s too dangerous for it to be long,” Beth said, her voiced tinged with sadness. Even though it wasn’t practical, Beth adored her long hair.

“Ya can just tie it up,” Daryl said.

Beth smiled at him. She sectioned off a small piece of her hair and redid her braid. After she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and retied the bandana around her head, she got under the covers. “Lord, this is good,” she sighed.

“’S nice.”

“You’d rather be in the coffin?” Beth teased.

“Hey, don’t knock the coffin,” Daryl said with a smirk.

Beth beamed back at him. “You should get some sleep.” She leaned up and kissed Daryl on the cheek. “Goodnight, Daryl,” she said as she laid back down, turning away from him.

Daryl’s cheek burned from the touch of her mouth. “Goodnight, Beth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Beth woke up early the next morning. She felt unusually warm. As she opened her eyes, she saw Daryl. In the night, they had become entangled with each other. Her face was buried in his neck and she was wrapped in his arms. One hand was on her lower back under her shirt. His knee was between her legs, making certain parts of her sing. Daryl was dead asleep. Beth smiled; she couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so soundly.

Carefully, she raised her hand to caress his face. “You look so peaceful when you sleep. Ever since I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you when you aren’t taking care of someone. Hunting, killing walkers, going on runs. For these couple years, you have been nonstop.” Beth rubbed her thumb across his cheekbone. Daryl groaned in his sleep. “I hope you rest, Daryl. You deserve it after all you’ve done for our family. For me.” She nestled her face back into his neck, lightly pressing her lips to his throat. She fell back asleep in his arms, enjoying their brief moment of peace. She wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but Beth felt like Daryl tightened his arms around her for just a moment.

 

* * *

  

As Daryl stirred, the scent of Beth overwhelmed him. This was the third morning in a row he had woken up with Beth in his arms. They hadn’t talked about it. Whichever one of them woke up first would leave the bed to check the security of the house and start their breakfast. Daryl was glad they didn’t mention it. He wouldn’t know what to say to this girl. This strong girl who still managed to be kind in a world full of shit.

He almost stupidly admitted that he has feelings for her at the funeral home, before she was taken. Daryl had never felt as strongly about a woman as he did about Beth, and it scared him. His feelings for her clouded his judgment. He was so focused on her that he let those walkers into the funeral home. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Beth.

She was still snuggled against his neck, her soft breath soothing him. It was a reminder that she was still here. As long as she was alive with him, he would be all right. He looked down at Beth’s sleeping form. He gently moved her hair from her face, a small sigh falling from her lips. “As long as I’m breathin’, you ain’t gotta worry. You’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay.” It was easy to talk to her like this when she was asleep. Daryl trailed his fingertips across her cheek. “I swear it, Beth.” He gently untangled himself from her and got off the bed. Daryl looked down at Beth. She almost looked like she was smiling. Daryl pushed some of her hair off her face and covered her with the blankets. Beth sighed and turned on her side. His chest felt tight. Daryl snuck out of the room to get them something to eat.

 

* * *

 

Beth jolted awake. Thunder crashed in the distance and lightning flashed outside the bedroom window. Daryl’s grip on her tightened as he woke up.

“It’s just a storm,” Beth said, her voice thick with sleep. She glanced up at Daryl; his gaze was bearing down on her. Beth’s breath caught in her throat. She slowly pushed Daryl’s hair out of his face. “We gonna talk about this?”

“You wanna talk? Talk,” Daryl said, starting to pull away from Beth. Before he could, and before she could think about why this could be wrong, Beth wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling Daryl closer to her.

“Not tonight, Daryl. Don’t push me away tonight.” Daryl stiffened. “We’ve been sleeping like this for nearly a week.”

“Mhm.”

“And it’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in a long time. You?”

“Ain’t slept this good since before the turn.”

“So, I don’t see why this has to change.” Daryl shut his eyes slowly. Beth sighed and placed her hands on his neck. She pulled him closer, pressing her forehead against his. “It’s okay to need people, Daryl. I need you. I’d like to think you need me too.”

Daryl’s eyes opened. “Yeah, Beth. I do.”

Beth’s heart fluttered. Hearing him admit it was a completely different thing than Beth speculating it. Beth unhooked her legs from around Daryl and moved away from him slightly. “Okay.” She pulled Daryl into a hug. Daryl wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. “Let’s just go to sleep.” Beth eased herself away from Daryl and turned over. After a minute, Daryl draped his arm over her and yanked her against him. Beth gasped, but soon settled into the curve of his body.

“This okay?” Daryl asked.

“Yes.” Daryl traced his fingers in an absentminded pattern on Beth’s stomach, causing her to shiver.

“You cold?”

“No.” Beth’s eyes drifted shut and Daryl held her. She fell asleep to the sound of pouring rain and Daryl’s breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Beth and Daryl had been in the house for over a week. They were living off of the food that was stocked up in the kitchen. Daryl hardly let Beth do anything, trying to let her heal. This drove Beth stir-crazy. On the ninth day, Daryl decided he needed to go hunting for fresh meat.

“Okay, I’ll grab my stuff,” Beth said.

“Nah, ya ain’t comin’.”

“What?”

“I need ya to stay here and heal.”

“Daryl, I’m barely sore anymore. I can walk fine, see?” Beth made a show of walking back and forth.

“Beth, please don’t argue with me on this.”

“Then don’t make stupid-ass decisions! You need back-up out there.”

“And I need ya to be safe!” Daryl bellowed. Beth stepped back. “Last time ya were out there, you nearly got killed.”

“And I handled it! You can’t-“

“I can’t handle it, Beth!” Daryl’s lower lip began to tremble. “When I was running after ya, I thought I wouldn’t find ya.”

“But you did.”

“And if I didn’t? I don’t know if I could go on.”

Beth stared at Daryl. “What do you mean?”

“After the prison fell, I felt lost,” Daryl admitted. “The only thing that kept me goin’ was you.”

“Me?”

“If I had gotten out alone, don’t know if I would still be here.” Daryl surprised her and reached for her hand, playing with her fingertips. “No point in bein’ the last man standin’ if I’m alone.”

Beth moved toward Daryl, taking his face in her hands. “Daryl, I’m not gonna leave you.” Daryl circled her wrists with his hands. “I know you wanna protect me, but you have to let me help you. You going out there alone isn’t gonna protect me if you get hurt.”

Daryl lowered his head, resigned. “M’sorry, Beth. I can’t lose ya again.”

Beth dropped her hands and wrapped her arms around Daryl. “You have my back, and I have yours. Sound good?”

“Alright.” Beth released Daryl. “Can hold off on huntin’ for a day or two, give you more time to heal.”

“I can live with that.” Beth pulled on Daryl’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.” She stepped past him and walked out of their bedroom towards the stairs. Before she could go down the first step, Daryl swept her legs out from under her. He started downstairs, carrying her like he did to the kitchen in the funeral home.

“Daryl, what are you doing?” Beth squealed.

“Savin’ you from walking on yer ankle. You’re welcome.” Beth lightly punched his chest, but let him carry her down the stairs. She looped her arms around his neck. When they got to the ground floor, he set her down. Beth’s hands grasped his shoulders for support. Daryl’s hands lingered at her waist for a moment. Their eyes met again. Beth felt warmth start to pool in her lower belly. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. Daryl’s eyes flashed in what looked like confusion. Suddenly, he tore his hands away from her waist and turned away from her. “C’mon, lemme check on that cut and let’s get some food.”

“Alright,” Beth breathed, slightly disappointed. She followed him back into the kitchen. She hopped up on the counter while Daryl grabbed a gallon of water from the pantry. He found a decently clean cloth from one of the kitchen drawers. After he wet the cloth, he pulled the bandana off of Beth’s head. Daryl started dabbing at the cut, cleaning it as best as he could. “How’s it looking, Doc?” Beth teased.

“It’s pretty much healed, so that’s good.” He looked back into her eyes, with another curious look. Beth stared right back, almost challenging him. Daryl cleared his throat and stepped away from her. Beth let out a shaky breath. Daryl handed her the water jug. “Drink some.” Beth greedily drank the water, some of it dripping down the front of her shirt. She tossed the gallon towards Daryl; he caught it without looking up. After a quick swig, Daryl grabbed two cans of peaches from the pantry and handed one to Beth. She used her knife to open the can. Beth picked the peaches out of the can, eating but not really tasting them. She stole glances at Daryl; he seemed quite preoccupied with his own food. He was doing his best to avoid looking at her.

Beth finished her food before Daryl did. She watched him as he ate his can of peaches. Juice dripped down his hands; he sucked the juice off of his hand with his mouth. Beth sank her teeth into her bottom lip. She had never been attracted to anyone like Daryl before. Jimmy, bless him, was just a boy who never had the chance to grow into a man. Zach, though he was sweet, was nothing more than a passing distraction. Daryl was unlike anyone she’d ever known.

After they finished, Beth got down from her seat on the counter, took the cans and tossed them in the abandoned trashcan under the sink. Then, she heard the sound of a striking match. Curious, she glanced behind her. Daryl was standing with a cigarette between his lips and a match flickering in his hand. A new pack sat on the table. He ran out of cigarettes a couple weeks ago, after they burned down the moonshine still. He brought the match to the tip of the cigarette. The cigarette glowed as the tobacco burned. Daryl blew out a slow stream of smoke.

Beth found it harder and harder to ignore the flutter in her belly every time she looked at Daryl. Her feelings for Daryl were not subsiding, only growing. He wasn’t the same rough redneck she met on her farm. He had always been strong-willed, but his refusal to lose people made him a good leader. Everyone trusted him, and so did Beth. She trusted him with her life. She knew he trusted her too; she could see it in his eyes. Sometimes Beth saw something else in his eyes. Something akin to want, desire. But that couldn’t be. Maybe she was projecting her own thoughts on to him. Beth chewed on the inside of her cheek.

_Why would he be interested in me?_

“Can I try one?” Beth blurted. Daryl looked at her, perplexed.

“Didn’t think you smoked,” he said.

“I don’t,” she said. “I mean I’ve never.”

“Add that to yer list of I nevers,” he mumbled. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack and handed it to her. “Hold it between yer teeth.” Beth stuck it in her mouth. “Nah, too far,” he said. He hesitated, but he lifted his hand toward her face. Beth held her breath, afraid to move. Daryl took the end of the cigarette and pulled it a little further out of Beth’s mouth. Daryl tried to ignore her small intake of breath. He pulled out a match and struck it against the box. “Breathe in a little.” Beth inhaled as he lit the cigarette. Beth promptly coughed up the smoke that burned her lungs. “Ya gotta take it slow, ‘specially since ya ain’t done it before.” Beth breathed in slower this time, letting the smoke fill her lungs. She blew the smoke out; Daryl gave a nod of approval, his lip quirking in a slight grin. “Maggie’d kill me if she found out I was corruptin' her baby sister. First moonshine, now cigarettes?”

Beth scoffed at Daryl. “Maggie can’t judge me. She’s the one who propositioned her husband-to-be in a convenience store.”

“That’s one way to do it, I guess.”

“So, you wanna play again?” Beth asked. Daryl raised an eyebrow. “I never, I mean.”

“You sure ‘bout that?” Daryl asked, bringing his own cigarette to his lips. “Remember what happened last time?”

“Well, I reckon it won’t be as bad since we don’t have alcohol. We can do it with fingers.” Beth held up her free hand. “Like, if you have done it, you put a finger down.” She lowered her index finger as an example. Daryl shrugged and took another drag off of his cigarette. Beth brought her cigarette to her lips and inhaled. It didn’t hurt her lungs as bad this time. Like the moonshine, she remembered. “Um, I never rode a motorcycle.”

“Cheap shot,” Daryl muttered as he lowered his index finger. “I never had a pet.”

“Really?” She put down her index finger. “A dog wandered onto our farm. I guess it would be around 5 years ago now. He was a mutt; I named him Spot, ‘cause of his fur. He ran away right before the world went to hell.” Beth looked down, somewhat saddened by the memory. “I guess he knew.”

Daryl shuffled his feet. He didn’t know how to help her when she got sad. He was already awful at talking to people, but he had even less luck with women. Most of his experience dealt in drunken one-night stands where no names were exchanged. The women never complained, but he never cared about any of the women enough to see them again.

He had gotten better with talking to other people when he joined up with Shane’s group. He suspected that was partly because of Carol and his search for Sophia. That little girl’s face still haunted his dreams. How he was unable to save her. But Carol still was thankful. Thinking about Carol and her faith in him made his heart hurt.

He had even become more of a leader after the Greene farm was overrun. It almost felt good to be a part of something. The group looked to him for advice. As the prison group grew, so did his role amongst them. Even though the survivors of Woodbury made him uncomfortable, and he had killed some of their own, they still looked up to him. And he found himself enjoying the company of other people.

Especially Beth. She had grown so much from that suicidal girl from the farm who couldn’t defend herself. She was strong, and more than capable of surviving. She still had some hope for this world, something Daryl forgot about. Her quiet strength is what drew him to her time and time again. Daryl tried to keep his thoughts away from her; it was dangerous to get close to people in this world.

_And why would she ever be interested in anyone like me? Beth deserves someone good._

“I never played suck n’ blow.” Beth's voice broke his train of thought.

“Suck n’ blow?”

“It’s a game. A group of people gets together with a playing card or something. One person holds it to their mouth, like this.” Beth made an O with her lips, making Daryl think inappropriate thoughts about her mouth. Daryl shook his head to banish the thoughts; Beth didn’t deserve errant thoughts like those. “They suck air in to keep the card from falling. Then they go to the next person and make it so the card is between the two of them. Then the person sucking air blows the card to the other person, while the other person starts sucking. If the card falls, you lose, and people end up kissing. Some people let the card fall on purpose.”

“Almost like shotgunnin',” Daryl muttered thoughtfully.

“Huh? You mean shotgunning a beer?”

“Nah, with a smoke. You take a drag, and blow the smoke into someone else’s mouth.” One of Merle’s skanks had forced him into learning what it was when he was thirteen.

“I’ve never heard of anyone doing that,” Beth pondered. Daryl took a drag off of his cigarette. “Can you show me?”

Daryl coughed up the smoke in his lungs. “Are ya outta yer mind? Why the hell would I do that?”

“Sorry, forget that I asked.” Beth looked down at her shoes. She snuffed her cigarette on the table. “You never really answered my question.”

“What question?”

“What changed your mind?” Gaining some courage, Beth looked Daryl in the eyes. “Back at the funeral home.”

“I dunno.” Daryl put out his cigarette, and turned away from Beth. Beth closed the distance, grabbed his arm, and turned him around.

“No, don’t shut me out,” Beth said angrily. “Don’t turn your back on me. We’ve been through too much for you to go quiet on me now. What changed your mind?”

Before Daryl could keep his mouth shut like he normally does, he yelled, “Ya wanna know what changed my mind? Shit, Beth, what do you think?” Beth looked at him in stunned silence. His gaze fell to his feet.

“Oh.”

Daryl scoffed as he turned around, bracing his hands on the counter. Beth stepped toward Daryl carefully. Like back at the moonshine shack, she wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her face against his back. Daryl shuddered. Tentatively, he wrapped his hand around her small, bracelet-covered wrist. His thumb moved the bracelets aside and rubbed her soft skin. Beth shivered as his thumb ran over her scar. She squeezed him tighter. “Ya got in my head, Beth.”

Beth dropped her hands to Daryl’s waist and gently turned him towards her. Daryl slowly lifted his head and looked into Beth’s eyes. Before she could lose her nerve, she buried her face in Daryl’s chest, wrapping her arms around him. After a minute, Daryl placed one hand at the small of her back while the other cradled her head. Beth tilted her head up to look Daryl in the eyes. The hand holding the back of her head moved to caress her face. Daryl ran his thumb across her cheekbone. Beth gripped the collar of Daryl’s shirt. Daryl let out a ragged breath and slowly lowered his head towards hers. His forehead pressed against Beth’s while Beth’s eyes drifted towards his mouth. Beth lifted her face and brushed her lips across his. It was only a second, but Beth felt a jolt of heat low in her belly. Daryl dropped his hand to her shoulder while Beth dropped her hands from the collar of his shirt to the bottom edge of his vest. She stepped back, giving him space. She glanced up at him; his blue eyes were dark. Then, Daryl groaned and pulled Beth back to him, kissing her deeply. She made a small noise in the back of her throat, halfway between a whimper and a moan. His other hand dropped down to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him. Beth snaked her arms around Daryl’s neck. Daryl didn’t believe in heaven or that he was good enough to get in to any place like it when he died. But kissing Beth Greene made him feel like he wasn’t so bad. She made him feel like this world did have some good left in it. “Were right, ya know,” Daryl mumbled against her lips.

Beth pulled away from Daryl. “About what?”

“I missed you so bad when you were gone.”

Beth breathed a soft laugh and pulled his face down to hers. Daryl’s tongue swiped along her bottom lip. Beth opened her mouth. He tasted like nicotine, and she did too. She had never felt like this when Zach or Jimmy had kissed her. Daryl slowly backed Beth up and pressed her against the counter. Beth eased herself up onto the counter and wrapped her legs around his hips, enjoying the slight friction. Daryl groaned into her mouth. Beth tangled her fingers in his hair when Daryl let his hands travel to the swell of her ass. Beth reached between them and started fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. Daryl broke the kiss abruptly; he pressed his forehead against hers. They were both gasping for breath. Daryl looked at Beth though hooded eyes. His ran his fingers along the skin of her lower back, causing Beth to shiver.

“Ya done this yet?” Daryl asked hesitantly.

“Couple times with Zach, but I never… Ya know, came.” She looked down in embarrassment. Daryl lifted her chin, his thumb stroking her jawline.

“That ain’t on you. His fault for not makin’ sure ya get yours first,” he said huskily. “Wanna make this good for you, Beth.” Beth’s pupils dilated, black bleeding into blue. “We don’t have to do this now-“ Beth cut him off with her lips. She returned to the buttons on his shirt, her fingers less shaky. Daryl grabbed her wrist. “Not here,” he said roughly. “Don’t wanna fuck ya in a kitchen.”

“Upstairs?” Beth asked breathily. He nodded. Daryl pulled her off of the counter. Beth laced her fingers with his and pulled him out of the kitchen. When they reached the stairs, he pulled Beth towards him and hauled her over his shoulder. “This still about my ankle?” Daryl could hear the smirk in her voice.

Daryl snorted. “Yeah, somethin’ like that.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

When they reached the top of the stairs, Daryl set Beth down, keeping his hands tight on her hips. She looked up to smile at him. Daryl’s heart stuttered. Her golden hair framed her face, making her pale blue eyes stand out. She pulled her kiss-swollen bottom lip between her teeth. Daryl closed the distance between them and kissed her hard. Beth kissed him back enthusiastically. She broke away from Daryl and dragged him into their bedroom. Unable to let any space get between them, Daryl pulled her closer to him. Beth’s smile lit up her entire face. She caressed his neck, curling her fingers in his shaggy hair. He buried his face in her neck and splayed his hands across her lower back. Beth sighed. “How long?”

He grunted into her shoulder in question.

“How long have you thought about this?”

“This?”

“Sex. With me.”

Daryl pressed his lips to her neck. “When you first held my crossbow. Just about did me in.”

Beth huffed a soft laugh. “And… um, is it, um…”

“Spit it out girl,” he breathed against her neck.

“Is this just out of convenience?”

Daryl pulled away from her neck, a look of disbelief on his face. “That’s what you think?”

“No,” Beth said uncertainly. She dropped her head and stared at their feet. “I just know I’m available, and it’s probably been a long time for you, and – “

“Beth.” She expected him to be angry, but his voice was soft. “It was at the prison.”

“What was?”

“When I first started feelin’ somethin’ for ya.” Beth looked up at him. “Didn’t know what it was, but I never felt anythin’ like that.” Beth pressed her forehead against his chest.

“I started feeling something when you left with your brother. It was awful thinking you weren’t coming back. I wanted you when you said ‘we’re gonna need more booze’. Beth reached between them and unbuttoned the first couple of buttons. Her breath ghosted across his chest. Daryl shuttered when she pressed her lips against his chest. “Was real hard focusing on you teaching me when I kept feeling you behind me.”

Daryl took Beth’s face in his hands and angled her mouth up towards his. “Girl,” he growled against her lips. Beth caught his lower lip between her teeth. “Knew there was some fire in you.” Beth backed up until she felt the bed against the back of her knees. She sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping eye contact with Daryl. She scooted back so her head was resting on the pillow. Slowly, Daryl inched his way up the bed so that he was on top of her. Beth pressed her lips to his neck, enjoying how his groan felt vibrating through his throat against her lips. Quickly, she sat up, with Daryl straddling her hips. He sat back on his heels. She finished the remaining buttons of his shirt and pushed it off of his shoulders, along with his angel wing vest that she stared at so often on the treks through the woods. Daryl’s fingers pushed up underneath her shirt, tracing the skin of her lower back. His thumbs moved over her hipbones, making small circles. Impatient, Beth tried to take her shirt off, but Daryl caught her wrist.

“Easy, Beth. We got time.” Beth didn’t know there was still such a thing, but she let Daryl slowly lift her shirt over her head, leaving her torso bare except for her bra. Daryl let his gaze drop to Beth’s chest. He looked into her eyes in question. Beth took ahold of his wrists and moved his hands so they were cupping her breasts. She nodded at him in earnest.

“Please, Daryl.” Daryl reached around behind her to unclasp her bra. Beth shrugged her bra off and tossed it on the floor. Daryl ran his thumbs over her nipples until they hardened into small peaks. Almost too gently, Daryl guided Beth so she was lying down again. He pressed open-mouthed kisses to her jaw and continued down her neck. He sucked at the juncture of her collarbone, hard enough to bruise. Beth writhed against him, wanting to get closer to him, wanting to sink into his skin. Tortuously slow, he pressed kisses on the tops of her breasts before finally closing his mouth over her nipple. Beth rolled her head back and moaned. She clasped her hand over her mouth before she could get too loud.

“Don’t you dare,” Daryl growled. “Wanna hear you.” Beth shivered as Daryl continued circling his tongue around her hardened peak. Daryl turned his attention to her other nipple. Beth felt a fire burning in her lower belly. Daryl crawled back up her body and captured her lips with his. Beth wrapped her legs around his waist; she could feel his erection straining through his jeans. Beth reached between them and ran her hand across the front of his jeans. Daryl let out an honest-to-God growl. His lips moved from hers; he kissed her neck, her collarbone, and the valley between her breasts. Her breaths were coming in short bursts now. As he kissed her stomach, his fingers found the button of her jeans. He locked eyes with Beth again. She nodded her head. He kissed the skin right above her jeans and popped the button. Slowly, he dragged the zipper down. He eased her jeans down her hips and pulled them off her legs along with her socks and boots. Her cotton underwear was the only barrier. Daryl hooked a finger around them and drew them down. Beth was already wet for him; Daryl’s mouth went dry.

“Need to hear you say it, Beth,” Daryl groaned.

“Daryl, please,” Beth whined. “I need you.”

“Need what?”

“Daryl, please. Touch me. I need…” Daryl growled and pressed a kiss to her inner thigh. He eased her legs apart, snaking his arms under her thighs and resting her legs on his shoulders. Beth moaned when he closed his mouth around her clit. Her back arched into his touch and she tangled her fingers into his hair. Daryl circled his thumbs on Beth’s hipbones as his tongue slipped inside of her. Beth’s moans bled into whimpers. Daryl was never a huge fan of eating a girl out, until Beth. She tasted as close to heaven as he would ever get. He groaned, the vibrations causing Beth to tremble. Daryl alternated between her cunt and her clit. He noticed that her moans grew breathier when he paid more attention to her clit, so he bore down on the bundle of nerves, licking and sucking until Beth cried out. Beth felt white-hot pleasure shoot through her entire body. She sobbed her release and pulled on Daryl’s hair at the roots. Her orgasm rippled through her in waves. Beth had had orgasms before, ones that she given herself, but none of them could compare to Daryl fucking her with his tongue. Beth had never let anyone do this for her; it didn’t feel right with Zach or Jimmy. But the way Daryl made her feel was like nothing she had ever felt before. Being with Daryl made Beth forget that the world hadn’t fallen to shit. As Beth came down from her orgasm, Daryl peppered kisses along her inner thighs. Beth grabbed his shoulders and hauled him to her, kissing him feverishly. She shoved her tongue in his mouth, tasting herself on his lips. She broke away from him, still clutching his shoulders. “I’ve never…had that...done to me before,” she panted.

“Was it…did you…was it good for you?” Daryl asked nervously.

“Very,” Beth sighed. Daryl exhaled. Beth surprised him by flipping him over. She climbed on top of Daryl and straddled his hips. “Now let’s get the jeans off of you.”

“We don’t gotta if you-“

“Enough of that talk. We’ve already established I want you.” She looked away briefly. “I mean, if you don’t want to-“

“Beth.” Daryl sat up. “‘Course I want to.”

Beth shifted nervously. “I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you have to. I know I don’t look like… I know I’m not-“

“Beth, you are.” Daryl brought his hand to her cheek; she leaned into his touch. “You are.” Daryl pressed soft kisses to her forehead, her cheek, and then finally her lips. His lips traveled down her neck and across her collarbone. Beth sighed. She reached between them and unbuttoned his jeans. She pressed her hands against his shoulders, laying him back on the bed. She bent over him and scattered gentle kisses across his chest. As Beth kissed Daryl’s chest, she reached down the front of his jeans, feeling him hard against her hand. His cock twitched at her touch. “Jesus Christ, Beth.”

“Is this okay?” Beth asked nervously. Daryl looked at her in question. “I want to make this good for you like you made it good for me.”

“S’more’n okay, girl.” Beth bit her lip, and if that wasn’t the sexiest damn thing Daryl had ever seen. Beth grabbed the waist of his jeans and boxers and yanked them past his hips. Daryl kicked off his boots as Beth eased his jeans off. She crawled back up his body slowly, her eyes almost black with desire. She straddled his hips once again, rubbing herself along his length. Daryl groaned at her movements. “Beth, please.”

“Daryl,” Beth moaned, slowly sinking on to his cock. Daryl’s eyes rolled back into his skull. “You feel so good,” she sighed. After a few moments, she began to move. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip in concentration. Daryl grasped her hips, guiding her into a steady rhythm. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman. Even longer since he wanted to. He did what his brother thought he should do, but he never really was into the women that were pushed at him. Beth changed everything. She made him look at the world differently. He never felt anything so good, or so right, as he felt right now with Beth. Daryl groaned as Beth rode him. His hips started bucking against her, his thrusts hitting her deep inside. Daryl sat up, changing the angle of his thrusts. His mouth teased her nipples. The new angle and ministrations with his mouth toppled Beth into another orgasm. She cried out as pleasure washed over her. Before she could even catch her breath, Daryl flipped them over. His thrusts made her whimper. His pace quickened, and Beth was with him all the way. Suddenly, he reached between them and pressed his thumb to her clit. With that one touch in time with deep plunges, Beth came hard. As she came down, Daryl’s movements became more and more erratic. He buried his face in her neck. Beth could see him struggling not to come. “Daryl, it’s okay. Let go.” With her permission, Daryl thrust once more, pulled out of her and found his release. As he shuddered against her, Beth pressed kisses to his temple. Daryl fell back on the bed next to Beth. Both of them struggled to catch their breath. Suddenly, Daryl sat up and leaned over the front of the bed. “What’re you doing?" Beth panted.

“You wanted to try this,” Daryl said as he laid back down, his t-shirt, a cigarette, and lighter in hand. He wiped the worst of his cum off of Beth’s thighs and stomach with his shirt. After he tossed the shirt aside, Daryl lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply.

“You always smoke after sex?” Beth asked playfully. Instead of answering, Daryl rolled over and pressed his mouth to Beth’s. Daryl breathed the smoke into her mouth. Daryl pulled away from Beth. Beth slowly let the smoke fall from her lips.

“God damn, woman,” Daryl rumbled from above her.

“Did I do it right?”

“More’n right, sweetheart.” Beth smiled at the nickname. Daryl fell back down on the bed and took another drag. Beth rolled on to her side and laid her head on Daryl’s chest. She plucked the cigarette from his fingers and took a drag herself. Daryl pulled her closer against him. They shared the cigarette in silence, Daryl kissing her hair when he wasn’t smoking. Once it was down to the filter, Daryl snuffed it on the bedside table. Beth traced patterns on Daryl’s chest with her fingers.

“Thank you, Daryl,” Beth said, sounding completely sated.

“S’nothin’,” he mumbled.

“No.” She propped herself up on her elbow so she could look him in the eye. “It is something. It’s everything. The way you make me feel, it’s everything. You are everything. You are important, and smart, and kind, and right now I don’t care if we are the only ones left in this godforsaken world. There’s no one I’d rather be with than you.”

“You mean stuck with,” Daryl scoffed, looking away.

“Really, Daryl? With the self-hatred already?” Beth climbed on top of Daryl, straddling his hips once again. “I love you, Daryl Dixon, and there’s nothin’ you can say to change that, so shut up!” Beth blurted. Daryl’s eyes snapped back to Beth’s. Her eyes were burning like blue flames, with no hint of a lie. Daryl barked out a laugh, breaking out into a grin.

“Dammit, girl. Ya beat me to it.”

Beth beamed down at him. “You love me?”

“Yeah, Beth. I do.” He sat up and pressed his lips to hers for just a moment.

“I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time,” Beth said quietly.

“Ain’t been nothin’ to smile about,” Daryl muttered. He pushed Beth’s hair out of her face, then moving to caress her face. Beth turned her face to kiss the inside of his wrist. Daryl pulled her against his chest, falling back down on the bed.

Beth giggled as she snuggled against him. She propped her chin on his chest so she could look at him. “What changed your mind?” Beth asked with a smirk.

“You, Beth Greene. You changed my mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my one-shot that exploded into this! This is the longest thing I've published. I'm still not very confident with my writing, but I can only get better with practice. Let me know what you think!


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